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In this episode, Ken speaks with Danae Labocki about her journey with Faithwalking. Danae is the president of Immix, the marketing firm Faithwalking partners with, and is a Faithwalker herself. She lives in Akron, Ohio, where Immix is based, with her family. Danae shares how profoundly Faithwalking has shaped her life—impacting her marriage, her relationships with her young adult children, and the way she leads her business. Before engaging in Faithwalking, she says she “didn’t know what she didn’t know” and wasn’t aware of what was holding her back. Through the process, she has grown in self-awareness, recognizing both her habitual patterns and the false narratives she had been living from. This work has enabled her to face those realities honestly and to walk in greater freedom, becoming a better, more self-differentiated version of herself. She now owns her messes, engages in difficult conversations she used to avoid, and is far less likely to overfunction in her relationships. Danae has also learned to care for herself more intentionally, paying attention to her own needs and releasing the belief that she is responsible for everyone else’s happiness. When asked why someone should consider Faithwalking, she responds, “I am a better mom, a healthier wife; business partner; friend; and leader. I truly believe Faithwalking will change your life—it’s changed mine.” This episode was recorded in September 2025.

In this episode, in light of everything happening in our country and the world right now, Lou Huesmann speaks with the group about the central human emotion of fear. He states that the most repeated command in the Bible is "Do not be afraid." Fear blocks love, and love is a relational term. When we are afraid we tend to engage in self-protection, which causes a loss of connection. Lou asserts that Jesus's death restores our relationship with God, and that God's invitation is to interdependence with him and sharing life with him. Perfect love - God's love - casts out fear. There is security in his love and belonging to him in Christ. The way to respond to our fear, then, is not a technique but rather a relationship - and resting in that relationship. This episode was recorded on April 10th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues the conversation onpolarization by exploring how it functions within systems, and also ties it to a relevant occurrence at the end of Jesus's ministry. He unpacks the dynamics of polarization at length, highlighting our tendency to react to what we are against rather than taking a stand for what we are for. Ken invites listeners to move toward a less reactive posture — one shaped not by others’ actions, but by clearly defined guiding principles. He encourages the group to start by identifying a single principle they can anchor themselves in, helping them become less reactive and less polarizing, and more defined by what they believe in and value most. This episode was recorded on April 3rd, 2026.

In this episode, Lou Huesmann explores the role of faith inFaithwalking first by clarifying what faith is—and what it isn’t. Faith is a response to a deeper reality beyond what we can see, and living in faith allows us to begin experiencing what we hope for even now. When we act on this deeper reality, we come into contact with its substance. The practices, postures, and dynamics of Faithwalking are ways of living into a reality that is coming, one that God has promised: a world where brokenness is restored and relationships are marked by wholeness. In this world people show up calm, curious, nonanxious, undefensive, and self-differentiated, living with others in ways that reflect Jesus's radical love. Because this future has already been secured by grace, through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we are invited to begin to live into this reality now in our relationships. "By faith we see God's design for the world to come, and we act on that reality by engaging in the practices that produce shalom in relationships, knowing that this is what the world will befully restored to one day." This episode was recording on March 27th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken returns to Ephesians 4, this time focusing on verses 2b-3, where Paul offers three more indicators of emotional and spiritual maturity. Ken then describes what often gets in the way - polarization - sharing passages from Ronald Richardson's Polarization and the Healthier Church. We live in polarizing times in society, and sadly, it has bled into congregations. Polarization is a result of increased anxiety and reactivity in individuals and in the culture at large. Ken shares how Richardson offers a way to understand the process of polarization and what each of us can do to decrease the intensity of polarization in our world and promote healthy change. One thing is certain: we will never end polarization without growing in our emotional maturity. This episode was recorded on March 20th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues exploring theconnection between emotional and spiritual maturity, focusing on Ephesians 4:1–2. He suggests that Paul’s call to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” offers another way of describing spiritual maturity. Paul then names three virtues that characterize this kind of life—humility, gentleness, and patience—which Ken identifies as key indicators of spiritual maturity. Ken goes on to unpack what each of these virtues looks like in everyday practice, acknowledging how often we are tempted to ignore or avoid them. Yet, they remain choices we can intentionally make. He emphasizes that humility, gentleness, and patience are inherently relational—formed and refined through our interactions with others. This episode was recorded on March 13th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken Shuman continues exploring the connection between emotional and spiritual maturity. He explains that we cannot become fully spiritually mature if we are not also growing in emotional maturity, because we will behave in ways that are inconsistent with the way of Jesus. Ken returns to the question, “What is spiritual maturity?” and revisits Ephesians 4:11–13 to help answer this. He suggests that this passage highlights three key aspects of spiritual maturity and spends a few minutes unpacking these. Spiritually mature people are a) filled with the knowledge of Jesus, b) mature in the teachings of Jesus, and c) fully formed in the likeness of Jesus. Together, these shape them into people who are whole and complete— and equipped to participate in God’s mission in the world. Ken also explores the Greek word translated “equipped,”which was used in the New Testament era both to describe mending fishing nets and setting broken bones so they could heal properly. Without emotional maturity, our nets remain torn—we want to serve, but we’re fishing with holesin our nets...and we wonder why we are not effective! Ken concludes that emotional maturity and spiritual maturity go hand in hand, and he emphasizes that our growth in maturity is for the purpose of helping others become more whole and complete. We mend our nets so that the entire body of Christ may be built up. Where might your net need mending? This episode was recorded on March 6th, 2026.

In this episode, Lou Huesmann returns to Ken’s recent reflections on the relationship between emotional and spiritual maturity. At Faithwalking, we believe the two cannot be separated—spiritual maturity is grounded in emotional maturity. Lou explores how we grow in emotional and spiritual maturity- or “sanctification” - through the invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He suggests that growth in both emotional and spiritual maturity—our becoming morelike Jesus—begins not with striving, but with resting in what Christ has already accomplished for us. It is not about adding to Christ’s work in us, but learning to live from it. As Lou unpacks this passage, he reminds us that our growth in maturity is rooted in relationship with Jesus and in finding our rest in him—not in our achievement. This, he declares, is truly liberating, "an invitation to a life in which you experience true freedom to live into the fullness of the person God made you to be.” This episode was recorded on February 27th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken returns to the topic of the distinction between order - or law - and justice, and how for God order is important but justice for everyone is what is paramount. Ken shared the story of Jesus healing the man born blind in John chapter 9 , which he thinks depicts well this difference between people's emphasis on the law and God's emphasis on justice and ensuring the well being of everyone. In this story the Pharisees, who maintained religious order, insisted God couldn't be behind this miracle because he broke the Sabbath laws to heal the man. Their mental model was that anything of God must be based on the laws they'd created - on their order. But sometimes God breaks the order to bring justice. Ken invites us to think about this question, "How resistant are we to God changing our assumptions and beliefs and about how things work? Do we have enough humility to say, "I have a set of beliefs and assumptions about how things are supposed to go, and they don't always go that way. Sometimes God blows up my beliefs and assumptions, and sometimes God breaks the order in order to bring justice." The Pharisees in the story lacked humility and the capacity to have eyes to see what God was doing in their midst. What Ken invites us to think about is whether we allow God to have any room to be bigger than our rules. When people are taken advantage of because of the rules, God will intervene, because God always stands on the side of justice. This episode was recorded on February 20th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken talks with Chad Crawford, VP of Immixand part of our marketing and development team, about his Faithwalking journey. Chad is a husband, father, and leader based in Akron, Ohio. Chad shares that Faithwalking helped him recognize that many of his actions and reactions were rooted in things within him he didn’t yet know about or understand. It gave him a path to uncover those hidden dynamics, offering hope that he could begin to understand “why I do the things I do.” Along the way, he gained practical tools he can return to again and again to address the underlying issues affecting his life and relationships. When Chad was first introduced to Faithwalking, he wasnavigating multiple transitions—some recent, others on the horizon. He realized that the patterns and strategies he had relied on in the past were no longer working. Through Faithwalking, he learned how to develop a new kind ofrelationship with his now-adult children, for example, and gained the tools to become the kind of leader he really wanted to be. Chad also describes confronting a deeply held belief that“it’s all up to me.” He recognized a pattern of carrying burdens he wasn’t responsible for and that no one had asked him to carry. Thanks to Faithwalking, he is now learning to find his appropriate place in relationships and situations, coaching himself when he feels tempted to take on too much or tobelieve he must be everything to everyone. When asked what he would say to someone consideringFaithwalking, Chad responds, “If you want to start the journey of becoming thebest version of yourself you know you want to be, then Faithwalking is the space to start that journey.” This episode was recorded in September 2025.

In this episode Ken addresses the difference between emotional and spiritual maturity and whether one of them is more important than the other. Some would say that if spiritual maturity is in place, emotional maturity will naturally follow, but Ken contends this is not the case - that in fact if we are not growing in our emotional maturity, we cannot become spiritually mature. Many of us were taught to measure spiritual maturity by what we know—Scripture, doctrine, and right belief—while giving less attention to how we actually live (except in matters of morality). But Ken points us to several passages in scripture he believes provide helpful summaries for what it means to be spiritually mature. In Micah 6:8 God calls us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (words Jesus echoes in Mt. 23:23 when he challenges the religious leaders for the legalism they practice while neglecting what matters most). These are not ideas to understand; they are actions to practice: spiritual maturity is formed in the way we live. Ken then takes us to Ephesians 4:11-15 where he says Paul describes spiritual maturity as being filled with the knowledge of Jesus, mature in the teachings of Jesus, and fully formed in the likeness of Jesus. We are "fully formed" when we are living a life that looks like Jesus. Spiritual maturity requires both knowledge of Jesus and aligning our lives with what he taught. Finally, Ken addresses the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7), which he says captures the very heartbeat of Christ's message - and the Beatitudes in particular (5:3-12), which paint a picture of what a mature, Christlike life looks like. He spends a little time unpacking what it means to live the way of the Beatitudes and how essential emotional maturity is to embodying these teachings, and those in the other passages above, in daily life - because the inner work shapes the outward life. Ken concludes that both spiritual maturity and emotional maturity are vitally important, but that without emotional maturity you cannot grow into spiritual maturity. This gets to the heart of what Faithwalking is all about - helping people grow in emotional maturity so that they can become more and more like Jesus. This episode was recorded on February 13th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken returns to the work of Walter Brueggemann, this week exploring the tension between order and justice in the New Testament through the life and ministry of Jesus. Brueggemann contends that God is always on the side of justice, even when it disrupts the order of theday. Jesus focused much of his ministry on those excluded from societal benefits enjoyed by those with power, showing compassion not only through individual acts of justice and mercy but by boldly challenging systems that oppressed anddehumanized the powerless. He exposed how law, order, and religious systems and structures were often used to manipulate and preserve power for some at the expense of so many others. According to Brueggemann, opposition to Jesus was mobilized primarily because his actions threatened the political and economic order of his time. When we stand with the harmed and marginalized, the powers that be – those who benefit from the status quo – will often move against us. Jesus calls the Church to share in his mission – to be his hands and feet in ministries of justice and prophetic protest. Jesus represented God’s intervention into the social powers, institutions, and ideologies that crushed the powerless and diminished human dignity. The prophetic witness of both the Old and New Testaments affirms that God’s desire for justice cannot be contained. God’s will WILL be done, and the Kingdom WILL come. So take courage and do not lose hope in the pursuit of justice and the ministry of shalom. Good Friday has passed, and Easter is coming! This episode was recorded on February 6th, 2026.

In this episode, Ken interviews Becky Gressett, a Faithwalking coach and children’s pastor from Houston, Texas, about the profound ways Faithwalking has impacted her life and ministry. Becky shares that the journey has brought deep healing and self-discovery, saying, “I have definitely become freer to be the person God created me to be.”  She describes learning to replace judgment with curiosity, often pausing to ask, “What was that about?” instead of reacting quickly and thoughtlessly. Along the way, she has learned to forgive herself, grow in self-compassion, and develop greater empathy for others.Becky also talks about the life-changing impact of learningto set boundaries. “‘No’ is the one-word boundary!" she declares, reiterating an oft-repeated statement from Ken when he teaches on this material. Embracing the principles of personal responsibility has also been transformative for her - understanding what she is responsible for and what she is NOT responsible for and does not need to take on. She has also become much more aware of her internal triggers, learning to pause, reflect, and respond with intention, and to live by guiding principles that shape how she shows up each day. When Ken asks her why someone should consider Faithwalking, Becky says it will reveal some things we didn't realize were there. "We all have stuff," she says, and the Faithwalking work gives us tools to work through those things. "It's been a remarkable journey!" This episode was recorded in September 2025.

In this episode, Ken Shuman reflects on a passage from a book by an Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann as well as on Mt. 15:1-9. In the passage Brueggemann discusses the difficult relationship between faith and politics - and further, chaos versus order and justice versus injustice. The kings were the agents of order in the history of the people of Israel, and the prophets were the agents of justice. Justice is a major concern throughout scripture - justice for everyone, and particularly those who have no power. Brueggemann concludes that when royal order conflicts with God-willed justice, order must yield to justice - even if it creates a system of disorder in the process. In fact, the Bible celebrates justice at the expense of order, although it holds both as important. Moreover, we as the people of God - the people of shalom - have a responsibility and a call to speak to injustice. This episode was recorded on January 30, 2026.

Check out the latest episode of our Keep Calm podcast! In this episode, Ken Shuman unpacks the story of Jesus turning over the tables in the gospels, beginning by asking the question, "Was Jesus reacting out of anxiety or was Jesus acting based on his best thinking?" Ken postulates that the latter is true. Jesus was not thoughtless but thoughtful. He was courageous and intentionally chose conflict, as a demonstration of what he believed.Ken lays out three ways Jesus clearly defined himself in this story, establishing what he was against and what he was for. He then asks us to consider whether we are for what Jesus is for and against what he is against - and whether we are willing to take a stand with him, even when others disagree with us; when they attack us; and when we think our livelihood and personal safety may be in jeopardy.This episode was recorded on January 23, 2026.